Faith
by Ash Ninja
Summary: <html><head></head>Superboy has faith in only one thing...and that's something Red Tornado, as an android, is trying to understand. Superboy eccentric. Non-slash.</html>


**A/n: Wow 40th story! This is so awesome! And I dedicate this story to all of you, my loyal and great readers! Not Supermartian but I think you guys might like it either way.  
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**Disclaimer: I own nothing but this story.**

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><p><strong>Faith<strong>

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><p>Walking the long corridor towards his room, Superboy was thankful for the wall being there to hold him up. Each step was an effort, sweat running down the side of his face to drip from his jawline as he put one foot in front of the other. One arm was tucked inside his jacket, the other was holding the jacket closed, shielding him from prying eyes.<p>

Judging from the eerie silence in the Cave, Superboy assumed that M'gann was either asleep or off exploring the town by herself. And he was slightly glad she wasn't there at the moment, he looked drunk. The smell of whiskey and bar smoke had soaked into his clothes and skin tonight, making him want to gag now. The way he smelt is defiantly the least of his problems.

Superboy all but fell against his door, letting go of his jacket long enough to type in his room passcode. He typed it onto the lock and it slid open all in one action, using his shoulder to nudge the door open faster before he stumbled into the room and slid the door shut behind him.

The shadowy figure standing at the end of his bed, silhouetted against the automatic light inside, came as no surprise at all. Superboy huffed out a tired sigh that became more of a groan as he shuffled awkwardly across the room before his knees buckled under him. Hitting the ground, Superboy rolled onto his back, his hand falling away from the inside of his jacket to reveal it dripping with bright, warm blood.

His eyes slid closed, his bloody hand tucking back in against his wound as he spoke to the figure on the bed. "Don't you ever knock?"

"You think I should be making some sort of showy arrival?" Red Tornado frowned slightly, unfolding his arms and moving forward slightly. "I was simply testing how well the automatic blinds in your room are functioning. They would have stopped working if I had not fixed them in time."

"Thanks but, I'm thinking you could learn about manners and personal space, RT…" Superboy shot back irritably.

"Why did you go to that bar tonight?"

"Gee, let me think…I was thirsty?" Superboy was sure androids were supposed to be smart or something, right? All logic? Sure as hell didn't seem like it with Red Tornado… unless sending the dunce of the class was another one of the League's tests for him? There'd been a lot of them lately…

Red Tornado moved away from the bed and walked over to kneel down beside Superboy. He reached out and pulled the jacket away, staring at the growing wet stain on Superboy's shirt, watching the way the blood was pooling through his fingers. "You are losing too much blood."

"No really?"

Red Tornado frowned again, and let the jacket fall back again as he got to his feet. "I warned you about that bar. I told you not to go there. That it would turn out bad for you. Why do you constantly question my advice? Are you so sure your way is best?"

"I thought humans had free will?" Superboy opened his eyes at last, bright blue standing out starkly against his pale, sweaty face. "I was just exercising mine."

"Because of Superman…"

"Superman had nothing to do with it." Not strictly true of course. Superboy had been pissed to find Superman gone again when he had stopped at Mount Justice to check on the newest security software. Investigating a shady bar seemed a good idea at the time, even if the bar was supposed to have been manifested with criminals harboring abnormal weapons, or so RT warned him.

"Lying is wrong, Superboy." Red Tornado replied instantly. "But that's one you are all too fond of using, isn't it? You lie to others to achieve your goals…you lie to M'gann about your feelings towards her. You lie to yourself about not caring about your nonexistent relationship your father."

"Shut up, Red Tornado. What the hell do you know about anything, anyway? Acting like my leader, ordering me around without me getting a say in anything. Looking at me like I'm some stupid bug you caught to study? Just what do you know about me? You only know me from what the League told you …you don't know me. So don't even start on what I'm lying to myself about."

Red Tornado could hear the strain in Superboy's voice. He could sense the weakness, the human frailty in the boy lying only a few feet from him. A boy he had helped M'gann heal after every mission gone wrong. A boy he had time and time sent on missions to show Superboy that the League needed him…that he was worth something.

And yet still…Superboy judged and weighed his worth…by Superman. It was perplexing for Red Tornado. How could Superman's opinion and need for his father, outweigh the League itself in Superboy's eyes?

"Superman won't come, Superboy." He spoke it softly, actually regretting the words as they left his mouth. How could he be so concerned with this one human? He never showed compassion towards humans. He usually wanted obedience…compliance.

But the more Red Tornado dealt with Superboy, the more he was seeing how humans could hurt and feel. How passionate they were, how strong they held onto their beliefs…

Superboy had an unshakable faith. As strong as the faith Red Tornado had in the League. But Superboy faith was in himself and Superman alone.

"Yes he will." Superboy told him, his eyes flickering towards the door.

"You truly believe that?" Red Tornado turned and looked down at Superboy again, then crouched down, his face hard and questioning, full of intrigue. "Even when you know he might be saving someone else's life right now? Even though I have shown you that he is walking his own path now? You still have such faith in him? Why?"

"Because he's Superman," That was all that Superboy needed to say. But he saw the questions forming on Red Tornado lips, so he continued, even as he felt his body growing more tired by the minute, his eyelids becoming heavier.

Red Tornado could see the tremble setting into the man's body. Knew he was going into shock from blood loss. He put a hand out and touched it to Superboy's face, feeling how cool he was. "You need help, Superboy. You are dying…"

"I've known Superman all my short life. I was raised to be like him, the Genomorphs taught me everything about him. He is part of me, Red Tornado." Superboy continued tiredly, finding it harder now to find the right words as everything was becoming more distant. "That's… that why I can't give up on him. I won't."

Red Tornado nodded gently, sitting back a little as he heard footsteps running along the hallway. He reached out and gently placed his hand over Superboy's eyes, closing them. "That's why you were saved Superboy. That is why the League chose you. Not to ask you to destroy yourself for Superman…"

Superboy could feel his grip slipping. Everything so cold now, his body shaking with shock. He could feel the pool of blood growing under him. Where was Superman? He needed his father… he needed to hear his voice.

"Superboy!"

There was a loud crash as the door to the bedroom was flung open. M'gann was standing in the doorway, her chest heaving, and her heart racing. For the briefest moment, like a flicker of light, like an after image left from staring too long at a candle's flame, M'gann was sure she saw a figure crouched beside her friend on the floor. The figure looked up with empty eyes that seemed to burn into M'gann before he stood up.

"What are you doing in here, Red Tornado?" she asked the android.

"... I will alert the League," Red Tornado said simply, as he strode pass her and down the hallway.

It was no longer than a heartbeat, before M'gann was on the move again, sliding to her knees beside the clone, but it felt like time was slowing down around her. "Superboy! Oh Mars, Superboy! Hey… Hey! I'm here… I'm here, Superboy. It's okay…"

"S-s...Superman?" Superboy's eyes cracked open a fraction, a bloody, disappointed frown appearing on his lips. "M'gann…you… you came."

M'gann's heart was slamming against her ribs as she saw all the blood pooled around the clone. "Course I came… Someone's has to look after you, right?" She gently eased Superboy up, pulling him against her as she fumbled to touch her temple with a shaking hand. "Just hang in there, okay? Stay with me…Talk to me, Superboy."

"He…he said he wouldn't…he said Superman wouldn't come." Superboy whispered softly, fighting to keep his eyes open and focused on M'gann.

"Uncle J'onn? Could you beam us up to Watchtower? Hurry, please." M'gann whispered into her mind link with her uncle before she dropped her and turned her attention back to Superboy again. "Who, Superboy? Who said that?"

"Red Tornado…"

"He was wrong, okay?" M'gann held Superboy a little tighter, her hand pressed down on top of Superboy's to try and staunch the blood loss. She saw Superboy's eyes sliding closed again; panic igniting like a wildfire inside her. "Superboy! Hey! Open your eyes, please! Look at me!"

Superboy struggled to comply again, his eyes flickering for a moment before they opened fully. "M'gann?"

"I'm here, Superboy. I'm not going anywhere…"

"I… I know…M'gann. I…know." Superboy turned his head slightly, drawing warmth and comfort from M'gann's presence as he felt the darkness taking him under again. A voice whispered in his mind, soothing him, allowing him to let go without fear.

_Rest… I will not let you fall. I understand now…_

Superboy could hear M'gann soft breathing, before he even opened his eyes to the bright white décor of the medical wing. He blinked against the brightness and looked over at his friend; sound asleep beside him, her head resting on his arm, her hand locked in his.

"M'gann…" Superboy tried not to wake the girl, but still couldn't stop chuckling as M'gann's head shot up. The sheer relief he saw in M'gann eyes told Superboy all he ever needed to know about his friend.

"How'd you know?"

"Know what?" M'gann asked, her face screwing up in the damn confused puppy look the Martian had always had.

"To come looking for me? That I was in trouble? What did you have another one of those weird visions of yours?" Superboy grinned tiredly. It faltered a moment later as he saw M'gann shake her head.

"I don't know. I… I just knew. Like a gut feeling. Something just told me to find you." M'gann explained, before she lowered her eyes, swallowing thickly. "Superboy?"

"Yeah?"

"Can… can we talk?"

It was Superboy's turn to frown then. "Sure, M'gann..."

"Lately it feels like we've been slipping away from each other….and that scares me. It really scares me, Superboy. I know you're going through some rough patches. And I'm sorry….but I can't keep doing this anymore. I don't want to do it anymore. I want my friend back. I want to explore this world with you and take whatever's coming, knowing I have you at my side."

Superboy watched his friend as she spoke, hearing the emotion filling M'gann's words. Feeling that maybe, just maybe at last… he was getting a sign that everything will be okay. That there is still hope.

"M'gann…there's no other place I'll ever be." Superboy told M'gann with an earnest look. He felt a smile touch his lips as he saw the wide, open and honest smile that grew slowly over M'gann's face.

"And Superboy?" The Martian girl stood up from the bed, pulling her hand away from his reluctantly.

"Yeah?"

"I think there is someone else here that would like to talk to you…" She jerked her thumb over her shoulder.

Looking past M'gann, Superboy saw Superman standing near the door. The elder superhero gave him a curt nod and walked into the room. Superboy's eyes widen in shock and his heart swelled up with pure happiness.

"Superman?" he whispered in awe.

Superman pulled up a chair from the corner of the room to Superboy's bedside and asked, "How are you feeling?"

Superboy smiled widely. "Better… now."

The two people he would always have the most faith in were finally _both_ here at his side.

M'gann had been right, Red Tornado was wrong after all…

**End.**

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><p><strong>An: And so that is the 40th story people! Certainly not my last, but the 40th! Wow... I've come a long way haven't I? **

**Anyway, enough of my rambling, let me hear your thoughts! Liked it? Hate it? Let me know, via review!**


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